The project manager presents the status in the steering group. You understand the numbers – money is burning at a steady and significant pace. You understand the schedule – once again, delays are on the horizon. No matter how many questions you ask, you grasp about as much of the technical details as a pig would about a Sibelius Festival. Your concern grows.
For many executives, following a large project is difficult because the reporting is in the wrong format for the wrong audience. Technical jargon, project management terminology, and excessive detail don’t help business leaders. They can even create the feeling that the project is progressing in its own bubble, disconnected from the organization.
Management needs facts, not a polished picture or a flood of technical details. Only with an honest, business-language snapshot of the situation can timely and impactful decisions be made.
How do you know if a project is under control?
👍 Clear language and the right level. If the steering group discussions sound like programming languages or PowerPoints overflow with architecture diagrams, there’s a problem. A good project manager can condense complexity so that business leaders understand: where we are, what decisions are needed, and what risks are visible.
👍 Honest reporting. Delays and challenges always happen. If presentations show everything as green lights while, in reality, schedules are slipping and costs are ballooning, it’s time to worry. A good project manager dares to share bad news and suggest solutions to fix problems.
👍 Decisions are made in the right places. The role of the steering group and management is not to listen to a technical status update, but to make guiding decisions. If key decisions are taken in small workgroups or informal coffee-table chats, the steering group is sidelined – and that’s a red flag.
👍 Clear connection to the business. ERP, CRM, a new online service – none of these are technology projects. They are business transformation projects. A good project manager continuously explains the business value the project brings and when those benefits will start to materialize.
If leadership consistently feels uncertain and the communication doesn’t land, it usually means either the project manager can’t communicate at the right level, or the project isn’t truly under control.
In either case, it’s worth pausing to ask:
🔍 Do we genuinely understand what this project is bringing us?
🔍 Do we know where we are and what risks lie ahead?
🔍 Are we making the right decisions right now?
At best, the project manager is like a simultaneous interpreter between two worlds: technical implementation and business leadership. They can translate into a language leadership understands – a language in which decisions can be made. If this skill is missing, the project is not in good hands.
Do you get an honest picture of your project from project leadership?
